Improvement in corsets



J. BALE 8; L. GOLDBERG.

WRSET- ZSheets-Sheetl.

Patented July 3,1877.

Jbs efih 30,169 .Ziouii- H FETERS, FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D O.

ZSheets-SheetZ. J. BALE & L. GOLDBERG.

CORSET.

Patented July 3,1877.

N-FETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAFHEH. WASHINGTON. 1 .6.

UNITED STATES PATENT rrron.

JOSEPH; BALE AND LOU-IS GOLDBERG, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

.IMPROVEMENT IN CORSETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,729, dated July 3,1877 application filed J 11116 12, 1877 patented inE11g1and,.February21, 1877, for fourteen years.

To all whom it may concern:

Be, it known that we, J OSEPH BALE, of No. 52 Aldermanbury, and LOUISGOLDBERG, of No. 9 Love Lane, both in the city of London, England, haveinvented an Improved Construction. of Corsets, Stays, and Bodices; anddo hereby declare that the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompany ing drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms afullandexact specification of the same, wherein we have set forth thenature and principles. of our said improvement, by whichour inven-.

wearer is greatly improved in appearance, as the corset approximatesmore nearly to the natural shape, while at the same time it is worn withgreater comfort, and without subjecting the wearer to the pressure onthe breast experienced by the use of corsets of present construction. I

Our invention consists in providing a corset with a band of webbing orother stout material, placed at such a height as to be fastened roundthe chest immediately under the breastpieces and across the lower. partof the breast of the wearer.

By means of this band the wearer is enabled to raise the breast, sothat, while it is comfortably supported thereby, it presents a muchfuller appearance above the corset. than would otherwise be the case.

With the supporting-band are combined regulating-flaps, all which willbe fully hereinafter described in detail.

The accompanying drawings show a corset constructed according to ourbefore-described invention.

Figure 1 shows a front view of the corset.

Fig. 2 shows a plan, and Fig. 3 shows an inside, view of the corsetopened out.

The breast-pieces A A increase gradually 'in fullness toabout the pointX X, beyond which they decrease in fullness again to the top edge, thuspresenting a convex, rounded,

- or cup-shaped form, as shown, thus approximating very closely to thefigure of the wearer, against whose breast the upper edge fits. Thesebreast pieces are stiffened, first, by vertical ribs B of whalebone,steel, or other substance affording the requisite stiffness andelasticity and, secondly, by other similar ribs (3-,arrangedtransversely across the breast, such ribsbeing made with a permanentcurvature conforming to that of the breastpiece; or in place of such twosets of ribs, only the one or the other may be employed, or therequisite stiffness, may be imparted without ribs by making thebreast-pieces of a sufliciently stifl fabric, or of two or morethicknesses of fabric sewed or quilted together, or by a lining orpadding of sufficient thickness; also, instead of raising the tops ofthe breast-pieces above the top edge of the other part of the corset, asshown, they may stop short at the level of 'such edge, while retainingthe convex form described. To each side of the breast-pieces, on theinner side thereof, is fixed a regulatingflap, D, the free edges ofwhich flaps have eyelet-holes, through which are passed laces, as shown,by means of which the flaps may be drawn together to any requiredextent, thus tying together the two sides of the rounded breast-piece,adjusting it to the figure of the wearer, and efiectually retaining itin its convex form, and preventing it from being flattened by pressure.Fig. 2 shows the two flaps drawn close together, as would be the casewith a person having a very small breast, while at Fig. 3 the laces areshown loosened sufficiently to allow the breast of the wearer to enterand fill out the cavity of the breastpiece to any required extent.

The flaps may either be laced the whole way up, as shown, or they may beonly partly laced, leaving the upper part open, if desired.

The said pads may be either of any thin soft fabric, or they may bewadded and quilted. As before stated, such pads might consist of asingle piece of fabric, which may or may not be elastic, extending fromside to side of the breast-piece, so as to act as a cross-tie.

E is the supporting bandor belt, passed through loops on the inside ofthe stays, so as to maintain it in a position corresponding with thelower part of the breast of the wearer, which may thus be raised andsupported thereby, as previously described. It may be convenientlysecured in front by a buckle, as shown, or by any other fastening. Thisbelt may also serve to tighten in the waist of the wearer, and two ormore sets of loops may be provided on the corset for holding the belt atany height that may be most convenient to the wearer.

Although we have shownand described our several improvements incombination, yet we wish it to be understood that any one or two of themmay be employed separate and apart from the others. Thus corsets, stays,or bodices, according to our invention, may be constructed with orwithout the spherical breastpieces; or a corset of ordinaryconstruction, as regards the breast-gores, may, according to ourinvention, be provided with the beforedescribed adjusting-pads, or thesupportingbelt, or both.

Corsets, stays, or bodices, constructed according to our invention, maybe of any form and material, and may or may not be provided witharm-holes 0r shoulderstraps. They may also, if desired, be padded moreor less under the arms; and, instead of forming a complete corset, stay,or bodice of the usual construction, they may extend only partiallyround the body.

shaped breast-gorcs A, in combination with the regulating-flaps D andsupporting-band E, substantially as herein described.

2. In corsets, stays, or bodices, the supporting-band E, arranged tooperate substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses this 31st day of May, 1877.

JOSEPH BALE. LOUIS GOLDBERG.

Witnesses:

FREDK. TAYLOR, Q

20 Southampton Bldgs., London, W. 0., JOHN DEAN,

l7 Gmoachwch street, London, E. 0.

